It is well known that in the various types of aircraft, such as helicopters, autogyros, etc. . . , one of the problems which arise is that of the balancing of the torque created by the rotating wings in order to maintain a stable direction. One of the most widely used solutions, particularly in the case of a helicopter, consists in having recourse to a vertical propeller placed at the end of the tail, this propeller preventing the rotation of the aircraft. Such an effective solution does, however, have the disadvantage of increasing the weight and size and of making piloting difficult.
The present invention allows these disadvantages to be overcome.
In general, the invention therefore relates to a new type of engine and lift unit for aircraft comprising rotating wings associated with means allowing the balancing of the rotational torque of the said wings and it is characterised in that the means for balancing the rotational torque are constituted by a blower propeller, disposed horizontally below the wings, inside an enclosure comprising:
a vertical duct surrounding the blower propeller and whose lower open end emerges under the fuselage of the aircraft; PA1 a horizontal duct opening into an intermediate zone of the vertical duct and whose outflow is directed towards the rear of the aircraft and; PA1 an adjustable shutter assembly, disposed in the zone of junction of the two abovementioned ducts and which allows the creation of two air flows whose flow rates are adjustable with respect to each other, one directed vertically downwards and the other directed towards the rear of the aircraft. PA1 the engine and lift unit comprises two vertical engine shafts, which are concentric but rotate in opposite directions, placed at the centre of the vertical duct and in the upper section of the duct, one driving the rotor of the aircraft and the other driving the blower propeller; the engine driving the shafts is disposed below the propeller and inside the vertical duct; PA1 the adjustable shutter assembly is constituted by a controlled rotary or slide valve, allowing the pilot to vary the outflow of the air compressed by the blower propeller either vertically to the lower section of the aircraft or horizontally to the rear section of the aircraft, or both at once.
Because of such a design, not only is the rotational torque of the rotating wings balanced for the rotational torque of the horizontal blower propeller placed at the inlet of the vertical duct but also, as this propeller rotates in the opposite direction to that of the rotor, it allows a compression of the air which, because of the structure of the complete unit, contributes to the takeoff and to the actual flight.
In general and in other words, it can be said that the blower propeller associated with the rotating rotor is disposed inside a hollow enclosure substantially having the shape of a T, which is rotated through 90.degree. in order that the horizontal section of the T is vertical and the vertical section is horizontal, thus allowing the obtaining of an assembly having three branches; one with horizontal prolongation and two with vertical prolongation.